Animal crate

ABSTRACT

A door assembly for an animal enclosure includes a door frame and a door each having a plurality of interconnected horizontal and vertical wires. The door frame defines an opening for an animal to pass therethrough, and the door is slidably coupled to the door frame such that it moves between an open position and a closed position relative to the door frame to allow egress and ingress through the opening. A catch member is coupled to the door frame. A latch includes a base member, a bolt, and a lever portion. A first vertical wire and a second vertical wire of the door are spaced from one another such that the first vertical wire is at a first end of the door and the second vertical wire is at a second end of the door. In the closed position, the bolt is coupled to the first vertical wire.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation-in-part application of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 15/069,002, filed Mar. 14, 2016, which is acontinuation application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/161,950,filed Jan. 23, 2014, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional PatentApplication Ser. No. 61/758,400, filed on Jan. 30, 2013, and U.S.Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/879,716, filed on Sep. 19,2013, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference intheir entirety.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure relates to an apparatus for containing animals,and in particular to a collapsible wire crate for containing animals.

BACKGROUND

The use of animal cages is well known in the prior art. Manyconventional cages have been developed over the years for housinganimals of different sizes, and through the development of these cagesflexibility and portability have become points of emphasis. Someconventional cages, for example, have been designed to collapse to acompact position for portability. Others have been designed of lightweight and from durable materials. Conventional cages have been designedfor ease of transporting an animal.

Most conventional cages include at least one door for providing accessto the interior of the cage. An animal can enter or exit the cagethrough the opening when the door is opened, and the animal can besafely contained in the cage when the door is closed. Many conventionalcages include a door that is attached to the cage via a hinge. Thisallows the door to be swung open and closed. A spring activated latch orthe like have been incorporated into the design of the door to allow auser to open or securely lock the door.

Many of these conventional designs have limitations, however. Forinstance, the door that is hingedly attached to the cage can be swungopen or closed too quickly and scratch or damage another object such asa wall or furniture. Hinged doors also require placement in a locationwith enough space to allow the door to swing open. This limits where thecage may be placed or stored. In addition, due to the hinged connection,the door may not be able to remain partially opened, i.e., the door iseither in an open position or closed position.

Therefore, a need exists for an improved animal crate that can becollapsible, portable, and overcomes some of the above-mentionedlimitations in the prior art.

SUMMARY

In a first embodiment of the present disclosure, a door assembly for ananimal enclosure is provided. The door assembly includes a door framehaving a plurality of interconnected horizontal and vertical wires thatdefine an opening for an animal to pass therethrough and enter or exitthe interior of the enclosure; a door configured to move between an openposition and a closed position relative to the door frame, the doorhaving a plurality of interconnected horizontal and vertical wires andbeing slidably coupled to the door frame to allow egress and ingressthrough the opening; a latch pivotably coupled to the door, wherein thelatch includes a latching mechanism removably coupled to one of theplurality of horizontal wires of the door frame; a first vertical wireand a second vertical wire of the door, the first vertical wire and thesecond vertical wire being spaced from one another such that the firstvertical wire is at a first end of the door and the second vertical wireis at a second end of the door; and a first guide wire and a secondguide wire coupled to the door frame; wherein, the first vertical wireis coupled to and moves along the first guide wire between the open andclosed positions, and the second vertical wire is coupled to and movesalong the second guide wire between the open and closed positions.

In one example, the door assembly includes a catch member coupled to theframe, the catch member configured to engage the door in the closedposition. In a second example, a first wire of the plurality ofhorizontal wires of the door has a first end and a second end, the firstend being removably engaged to the catch member in the closed position.In a third example, the latch is pivotably coupled about the first wireof the door. In a fourth example, the door frame comprises a firstsupport wire and a second support wire, the first support wire beingvertically spaced from the second support wire; and the catch memberbeing coupled to the first support wire and the second support wire.

In a fifth example, the latch is formed by a single wire having a firstend and a second end, the first end forming a curled end and pivotablycoupled to a horizontal wire of the door and the second end being bentand pivotably coupled to the horizontal wire; and the latching mechanismis formed by a bend in the second end of the single wire; furtherwherein, the latching mechanism is releasably coupleable to any locationalong the length of the one of the plurality of horizontal wires of thedoor frame to position the door in the open position, the closedposition, and any position therebetween. In a sixth example, the firstguide wire and the second guide wire are bent to form guide openings. Ina seventh example, the size of each guide opening is substantially thesame and each defines the length or distance of travel of the door.

In a seventh example, the first vertical wire comprises a curled firstend coupled to the first guide wire and a substantially straight secondend; and the second vertical wire comprises a curled first end coupledto the second guide wire and a substantially straight second end. In aneighth example, the door assembly includes a third guide wire coupled tothe door frame; and a fourth guide wire coupled to the door frame;wherein, the substantially straight second end of the first verticalwire is coupled to and moves along the third guide wire, and thesubstantially straight second end of second vertical wire is coupled toand moves along the fourth guide wire. In a ninth example, the firstguide wire and the second guide wire are coupled near the top of thedoor frame, and the third guide wire and the fourth guide wire arecoupled near the bottom of the door frame. In a tenth example, the thirdguide wire and the fourth guide wire are bent to form guide openingsthrough which the first and second vertical wires, respectively, movethrough between the open and closed positions.

In another embodiment of this disclosure, an animal crate includes adoor frame having a plurality of interconnected horizontal and verticalwires that define an opening for an animal to pass therethrough andenter or exit the interior of the animal crate; a door configured tomove laterally between an open position and a closed position relativeto the door frame, the door having a plurality of interconnectedhorizontal and vertical wires; and at least two mechanisms releasablycoupling the door to the door frame in the closed position, where one ofthe two mechanisms is pivotably coupled to the door and the second ofthe two mechanisms is affixed to the door frame; wherein, the first ofthe two mechanisms is releasably coupleable to any location along alength of one of the plurality of horizontal wires of the door framesuch that the door is disposable relative to the door frame in the openposition, the closed position, or any position therebetween.

In one example, the first of the two mechanisms comprises a latchpivotably coupled to the door, wherein the latch is pivotable between afirst position in which the latch is engaged with the one horizontalwire of the door frame and a second position in which the latch isdisengaged from the one horizontal wire of the door frame. In a secondexample, the second of the two mechanisms comprises a catch membercoupled to the frame, the catch member configured to engage the dooronly in the closed position. In a third example, the animal crateincludes a first vertical wire and a second vertical wire of the door,the first vertical wire and the second vertical wire being spaced fromone another such that the first vertical wire is at a first end of thedoor and the second vertical wire is at a second end of the door; and afirst guide wire and a second guide wire coupled to the door frame;wherein, the first vertical wire is coupled to and moves along the firstguide wire between the open and closed positions, and the secondvertical wire is coupled to and moves along the second guide wirebetween the open and closed positions. In a fourth example, the animalcrate includes a first wire of the plurality of horizontal wires of thedoor having a first end and a second end, the first end beingelastically bent outwards away from interior of the animal crate;wherein, the first end engages the second of the two mechanisms in theclosed position and maintains the door in the closed position until thefirst end is disengaged from the second of the two mechanisms.

In a different embodiment, an animal enclosure includes a top member, abottom member, and a plurality of side members, wherein the top member,bottom member, and the plurality of side members define an interior ofthe enclosure; a door frame defined by at least one of the side members,the door frame having a plurality of interconnected horizontal andvertical wires that define an opening for an animal to pass therethroughand enter or exit the interior of the enclosure; a door formed by aplurality of interconnected horizontal and vertical wires, the doorbeing movable laterally between an open position and a closed positionrelative to the door frame, wherein the opening is accessible in theopen position and inaccessible in the closed position; a first verticalwire and a second vertical wire of the plurality of vertical wires ofthe door, the first vertical wire and the second vertical wire beingspaced from one another such that the first vertical wire is at a firstend of the door and the second vertical wire is at a second end of thedoor; a first guide wire and a second guide wire coupled near a top endof the door frame and a third guide wire and a fourth guide wire couplednear a bottom end of the door frame; and a plurality of mechanismsreleasably coupling the door to the door frame in the closed position,where one of the plurality of mechanisms is pivotably coupled to thedoor and a second of the plurality of mechanisms is affixed to the doorframe; wherein, a first end of the first vertical wire is coupled to andmoves along the first guide wire between the open and closed positions,and a second end of the first vertical wire is in contact with the thirdguide wire in the open and closed positions; further wherein, a firstend of the second vertical wire is coupled to and moves along the secondguide wire between the open and closed positions, and a second end ofthe second vertical wire is in contact with the fourth guide wire in theopen and closed positions.

In one example, the one of the plurality of mechanisms comprises a latchpivotably coupled to the door, the latch including a latching mechanismthat is releasably coupleable to one of the plurality of horizontalwires of the door frame in the closed position; wherein, the latchingmechanism is releasably coupleable to the one horizontal wire of thedoor frame at any location along its length such that the door isdisposable relative to the door frame in the open position, the closedposition, or any position therebetween. In a second example, the secondof the plurality of mechanisms comprises a catch member coupled to theframe, the catch member defining an opening for receiving an end of oneof the plurality of horizontal wires of the door in the closed position.

In a further embodiment of the present disclosure, a door assembly foran animal enclosure includes a door frame having a plurality ofinterconnected horizontal and vertical wires that define an opening foran animal to pass therethrough and enter or exit the interior of theenclosure; a door configured to move between an open position and aclosed position relative to the door frame, the door having a pluralityof interconnected horizontal and vertical wires and being slidablycoupled to the door frame to allow egress and ingress through theopening; a catch member coupled to the door frame, the catch memberformed by a substantially U-shaped wire; a latch comprising a basemember, a bolt, and a lever portion, where the bolt is slidably coupledto the base member; a first vertical wire and a second vertical wire ofthe door, the first vertical wire and the second vertical wire beingspaced from one another such that the first vertical wire is at a firstend of the door and the second vertical wire is at a second end of thedoor; and a first guide wire and a second guide wire coupled to the doorframe; wherein, the first vertical wire is coupled to and moves alongthe first guide wire between the open and closed positions, and thesecond vertical wire is coupled to and moves along the second guide wirebetween the open and closed positions; further wherein, in the closedposition, the bolt is coupled to the first vertical wire.

In one example of this embodiment, the bolt includes a single wireforming a substantially straight portion and a bent portion, the bentportion coupling to the first vertical wire in the closed position. In asecond example, the bolt is rotatably disposed within at least one boltopening defined by the base member. In a third example, the bolt isrotatably between a latched position and an unlatch position, the boltbeing coupled to the first vertical wire in the latched position; andthe bent portion is oriented in a direction away from the door openingin the latched position, and oriented in an upward direction in theunlatched position. In a fourth example, the catch member includes afirst end and a second end, the first end and second end spaced from oneanother and coupled to an outer vertical wire of the door frame.

In a fifth example, the catch member is coupled to another vertical wireof the door frame at locations which are spaced horizontally from thefirst and second ends. In a sixth example, the catch member is partiallydisposed within a first plane and a second plane, the first plane andsecond plane being substantially perpendicular to one another. In aseventh example, the first vertical wire includes a substantiallyU-shaped bend between its two ends, the substantially U-shaped bendforming a recessed area in which the catch member is received in theclosed position. In a further example of this embodiment, the doorassembly may include a third guide wire coupled to the door frame; and afourth guide wire coupled to the door frame; wherein, the first verticalwire is coupled to and moves along the third guide wire, and the secondvertical wire is coupled to and moves along the fourth guide wire.

In yet a further embodiment of the present disclosure, a door assemblyfor an animal enclosure includes a door frame having a plurality ofinterconnected horizontal and vertical wires that define an opening foran animal to pass therethrough and enter or exit the interior of theenclosure; a door configured to move between an open position and aclosed position relative to the door frame, the door having a pluralityof interconnected horizontal and vertical wires and being slidablycoupled to the door frame to allow egress and ingress through theopening; a catch member coupled to the door frame, the catch memberhaving a first end and a second end; a latch comprising a base member, abolt, and a lever portion, where the bolt is slidably coupled to thebase member; a first vertical wire and a second vertical wire of thedoor, the first vertical wire and the second vertical wire being spacedfrom one another such that the first vertical wire is at a first end ofthe door and the second vertical wire is at a second end of the door;and a first guide wire and a second guide wire coupled to the doorframe; wherein, the first vertical wire is coupled to and moves alongthe first guide wire between the open and closed positions, and thesecond vertical wire is coupled to and moves along the second guide wirebetween the open and closed positions; further wherein, in the closedposition, the bolt is coupled to the first vertical wire.

In one example of this embodiment, the first end and second end of thecatch member are spaced from one another and coupled to an outervertical wire of the door frame. In a second example, the first end andsecond of the catch member are integrally coupled to one another suchthat the catch member is formed by a single, continuous wire. In a thirdexample, the catch member includes a substantially closed loop design.In a fourth example, the catch member is coupled to another verticalwire of the door frame at locations which are spaced horizontally fromthe first and second ends. In a fifth example, the bolt includes asingle wire forming a substantially straight portion and a bent portion,the bent portion coupling to the first vertical wire in the closedposition; and the bolt is rotatably disposed within at least one boltopening defined by the base member.

In a sixth example, the bolt is rotatably between a latched position andan unlatch position, the bolt being coupled to the first vertical wirein the latched position; and the bent portion is oriented in a directionaway from the door opening in the latched position, and oriented in anupward direction in the unlatched position. In a seventh example, thecatch member is partially disposed within a first plane and a secondplane, the first plane and second plane being substantiallyperpendicular to one another. In an eighth example, the first verticalwire comprises a substantially U-shaped bend between its two ends, thesubstantially U-shaped bend forming a recessed area in which the catchmember is received in the closed position. In another example, the doorassembly includes a third guide wire coupled to the door frame; and afourth guide wire coupled to the door frame; wherein, the first verticalwire is coupled to and moves along the third guide wire, and the secondvertical wire is coupled to and moves along the fourth guide wire.

In yet another embodiment of the present disclosure, an animal crateincludes a plurality of members including a top member, a bottom member,and a side member, wherein the top member, bottom member and the sidemember are coupled to one another to define an interior, where eachmember is formed by a plurality of interconnected horizontal andvertical wires; a door frame formed in the side member and include aplurality of interconnected horizontal and vertical wires that define anopening for an animal to pass therethrough and enter or exit theinterior of the enclosure; a door configured to move between an openposition and a closed position relative to the door frame, the doorhaving a plurality of interconnected horizontal and vertical wires andbeing slidably coupled to the door frame to allow egress and ingressthrough the opening; a catch member coupled to the door frame, the catchmember having a first end and a second end; a latch comprising a basemember, a bolt, and a lever portion, where the bolt is slidably coupledto the base member; a first vertical wire and a second vertical wire ofthe door, the first vertical wire and the second vertical wire beingspaced from one another such that the first vertical wire is at a firstend of the door and the second vertical wire is at a second end of thedoor; and a first guide wire and a second guide wire coupled to the doorframe; wherein, the first vertical wire is coupled to and moves alongthe first guide wire between the open and closed positions, and thesecond vertical wire is coupled to and moves along the second guide wirebetween the open and closed positions; further wherein, in the closedposition, the bolt is coupled to the first vertical wire.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above-mentioned aspects of the present disclosure and the manner ofobtaining them will become more apparent and the disclosure itself willbe better understood by reference to the following description of theembodiments of the disclosure, taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a wire crate;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a door frame and door of the wire crateof FIG. 1;

FIG. 2A is an enlarged perspective view of a first door stop mechanismof the door frame of FIG. 2;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a first side member of the wire crate ofFIG. 1 with the door in the closed position;

FIG. 3A is an enlarged perspective view of a latch assembly of the wirecrate of FIG. 1 disposed in a latched position;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the first side member of FIG. 3 with thedoor in a partially open position;

FIG. 4A is an enlarged perspective view of the latch system of FIG. 3Ain a partially unlatched position;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the wire crate of FIG. 1 in a collapsedposition;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of another wire crate;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a door frame and door of the wire crateof FIG. 6;

FIG. 7A is a partial enlarged perspective view of the door frame anddoor of FIG. 7;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a door frame and door of FIG. 7 in aclosed position;

FIG. 8A is a partial enlarged perspective view of the door frame anddoor of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the door frame and door of FIG. 7 in anopen position;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a different wire crate;

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a door frame and door of the wire crateof FIG. 10;

FIG. 11A is a partial enlarged perspective view of the door frame anddoor of FIG. 11;

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the door frame and door of FIG. 10 inan open position;

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a wire animalcrate;

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of a door frame and door of the wire crateof FIG. 13;

FIG. 14A is a partial enlarged perspective view of the door frame anddoor of FIG. 13; and

FIG. 15 is a perspective view of the door frame and door of FIG. 13 inan open position.

Corresponding reference numerals are used to indicate correspondingparts throughout the several views.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The embodiments of the present disclosure described below are notintended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure to the preciseforms disclosed in the following detailed description. Rather, theembodiments are chosen and described so that others skilled in the artmay appreciate and understand the principles and practices of thepresent disclosure.

The present disclosure relates to a collapsible wire crate. The wirecrate can be used for multiple purposes, such as to contain an animal orfor storing an object. The crate can be made of any size foraccommodating an object of any size. In addition, the crate can be madeof different materials including aluminum, plastic, and steel.

Referring to FIG. 1, an exemplary embodiment of a crate 100 is shown.The crate 100 can be formed of substantially horizontal and verticalwires that overlap one another to define an interior portion. One ormore of the horizontal wires can be coupled to one or more of thevertical wires, and vice versa, to add structural integrity to the crate100. For instance, the wires may be welded, adhered, fastened, orcoupled to one another through a variety of means. The crate 100 caninclude a top member 102, a bottom member 104, a front member 106, and aback member 108. The crate 100 can further include a first side member110 and a second side member 112, where the first side member 110 isoppositely disposed from the second side member 112. The dimensions ofeach member can vary to accommodate the size of any animal, for example.In an upright, fully assembled orientation or position, the top member102, bottom member 104, front member 106, back member 108, first sidemember 110, and second side member 112 can define an interior of thecrate 100 which is sized to receive and accommodate an animal or otherobject, as desired.

In one aspect, the front member 106, back member 108, top member 102,and bottom member 104 can form a continuous structure. In other words,these members can be fixedly attached to one another. Alternatively, thetop member 102, bottom member 104, first side member 110, and secondside member 112 can form a continuous structure such that the top member102 and bottom member 104 are affixed to the first side member 110 andsecond side member 112. In a different aspect, each member may beremovably coupled to one another such that the different members areremovably coupled to one another.

Each of the top member 102, bottom member 104, front member 106, backmember 108, first side member 110, and second side member 112 can beformed by a plurality of overlapping horizontal and vertical wires orrods. The number of horizontal and vertical wires as well as the spacingtherebetween can vary. If a smaller animal is being contained in thecrate 100, the spacing may be desirably smaller than if a larger animalis being contained.

In FIG. 1, the first side member 110 of the crate 100 can define a doorframe which includes corresponding structure for accommodating a door114. The door 114 can also be made of substantially overlappinghorizontal and vertical wires as shown in FIG. 1. Further, the door 114can be movably disposed between an open position and a closed position.In the open position, i.e., in FIG. 2, the first side member 110 definesan opening 204 (FIG. 2) that provides access to the interior of thecrate 100.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the door 114 can move between the closedposition (FIG. 1) and the open position (FIG. 2) by moving the door 114in a lateral direction identified by arrow 200 in FIG. 2. In thismanner, the door 114 is disposed in a plane, and as the door movesbetween the open and closed positions, the door 114 remains in theplane. The door 114 can move relative to the first side member 110 alonga first horizontal wire 206 and a second horizontal wire 208. The firsthorizontal wire 206 and the second horizontal wire 208 can also bereferred to as guide wires. In FIG. 2, the first horizontal wire 206 isdisposed near the top edge of the first side member 110 and the secondhorizontal wire 208 is disposed near the bottom edge of the first sidemember 110.

The first horizontal wire 206 and second horizontal wire 208 may beoffset in a direction opposite the interior of the crate from the firstside member 110 by a distance sufficient to allow the door 114 to beslidably coupled to the first horizontal wire 206 and second horizontalwire 208. Stated another way, the first side member 110 can include anouter frame wire 210 that is continuous about the four edges of thefirst side member 110. The outer frame wire 210 can be defined in afirst plane. The first horizontal wire 206 and second horizontal wire208 can be at least partially disposed offset from the first plane suchthat both wires are disposed in a second plane, where the second planeis substantially parallel to the first plane. The spacing between thefirst plane and second plane can allow the door 114 to move along thefirst horizontal wire 206 and second horizontal wire 208 withoutcontacting or being interfered by the other horizontal and verticalwires of the first side member 110 while being sufficiently close toside member 110 to restrict access into or out of the interior of crate100 when the door 114 is in the closed position.

Referring to FIG. 2, while the first horizontal wire 206 and secondhorizontal wire 208 are offset or spaced from the outer frame wire 210,both wires can be coupled at each respective end to the outer frame wire210. For instance, the first horizontal wire 206 can be coupled at oneend 212 and at an opposite end 214 to the outer frame wire 210.Similarly, the second horizontal wire can be coupled at one end 216 andat an opposite end 218 thereof to the outer frame wire 210. The wirescan be coupled to the outer frame wire 210 by means of welding,adhesive, a fastener or coupler, press-fit (e.g., the horizontal wirecan wrap around the outer frame wire 210 to form a press-fitting), orany other known means.

To offset both horizontal wires from the outer frame wire, the firsthorizontal wire 206 can include a first transverse bend 220 defined inthe wire 206 near its first end 212 and a second transverse bend 222near its second end 214. The bends at each end of the first horizontalwire 206 allows a substantial portion of the length of the wire 206 tobe offset from the first plane defined by the outer frame wire 210 whileremaining close enough to side panel 110 to restrict access into or outof the crate 100 when door 114 is in the closed position. This, ineffect, allows the door 114 to move about this substantial portion ofthe first horizontal wire 206 in a smooth manner. Likewise, the secondhorizontal wire 208 can include a first transverse bend 224 disposednear its first end 216 and a second transverse bend 226 disposed nearits second end 218.

In the illustrated embodiments, the door 114 does not include any meansfor sliding or moving about the first horizontal wire 206 and secondhorizontal wire 208, (e.g., casters or wheels), but in other embodimentsa mechanism to facilitate the movement along the wires (e.g., casters)may be included to assist with opening and closing the door 114. In thepresent embodiment, the material used for each wire, and in particularthe wires that move relative to one another, can include properties thatallow for a smooth opening and closing of the door 114. Alternatively, asupplemental material may be disposed along the horizontal wires 206,208 to further accommodate movement of the door 114 relative thereto.

The first side member 110 may also include a first door stop mechanism202 and a second door stop mechanism 203, as shown in FIG. 2. The firstand second door stop mechanisms 202, 203 can be partially formed by avertical wire 228 that is coupled to outer frame wire 210 near a topportion 254 and bottom portion 252, respectively, of the first sidemember 110. In FIG. 2A, the vertical wire 228 can be coupled to theouter frame wire 210 at a first location 236 and to a differenthorizontal wire 234 of the first side member 110 at a second location238. Each of the first location 236 and second location 238 arelocations along the length of the vertical wire 228 and each is spacedfrom the other by a defined distance. Between the first location 236 andthe second location 238, the vertical wire 228 includes a protrudingportion 232 that can function as a door stop member. The protrudingportion 232 can include a substantially U-shaped structure thatprotrudes by at least a distance in which the wire 228 at leastpartially passes through the second plane created by the offset portionsof the horizontal wires 206, 208.

Similarly, the second door stop mechanism 203 can also be formed by thevertical wire 228 that is coupled to outer frame wire 210 near thebottom of the first side member 110. The vertical wire 228 can becoupled to the outer frame wire 210 at a first location 252 and to ahorizontal wire 250 of the first side member 110 at a second location260. Each of the first location 252 and second location 260 arelocations along the length of the vertical wire 228 and each is spacedfrom the other by a defined distance. Between the first location 252 andthe second location 260, the vertical wire 228 includes a protrudingportion that can function as a door stop member. The protruding portioncan include a substantially U-shaped structure that protrudes by atleast a distance in which the wire 228 at least partially passes throughthe first plane and the second plane created by the offset portions ofthe horizontal wires 206, 208.

Further, the first door stop mechanism 202 and the second door stopmechanism 203 can be coupled to the horizontal wires 206 and 208,respectively. For example, the protruding portion 232 of the first doorstop mechanism 202 can be coupled to the horizontal wire 206 at thepoint of intersection 233. Coupling the protruding portion 232 to thehorizontal wire 206 can improve the structural integrity of thehorizontal wire 206 while reducing deflection between the horizontalwire 206 and the protruding portion 232 of the first door stop mechanism202. By reducing the deflection between the protruding portion 232 andthe horizontal wire 206, the first door stop mechanism 202 can restrictor limit the door 114 from opening further than desired. Likewise, theprotruding section of the second door stop mechanism 203 can similarlybe coupled to the horizontal wire 208 in the same manner as the firstdoor stop mechanism 202. The first and second door stop mechanisms 202,203 create two points of contact that simultaneously restrict or limitthe door 114 from moving further than desired, or stated another way,define the distance or amount by which the door 114 opens.

In this manner, the first door stop mechanism 202 and second door stopmechanism 203 can restrict movement of the door 114 from opening beyonda certain distance via interference between the door 114 and the firstside member 110. The first door stop mechanism 202 and second door stopmechanism 203 can be positioned along the same vertical member 228 toensure both door stop mechanisms 202, 203 contact the door 114 at aboutthe same time. The door stop mechanisms 202, 203 may restrict the door114 from opening further than desired by contacting hooks 240 and 242when the door is in the fully open position 200. The door stopmechanisms 202, 203 may also be used to restrict the door 114 fromclosing farther than desired when contacted by hooked ends 246 and 248of the door 114 as shown in FIG. 3 while a first vertical wire 230 ofthe door 114 simultaneously contacts a side stop member 306.

First door stop mechanism 202 and second door stop mechanism 203 can beformed in the first side member 110 at any desired location along anyvertical wire of the first side member 110 in a manner that necessarilyrestricts movement of the door 114 when the door 114 is either opened orclosed to a desired position. In FIGS. 1 and 2, the first door stopmechanism 202 and the second door stop mechanism 203 are disposed nearthe center of the first side member 110 such that when the door 114 isin the open position, the width of the defined opening 204 occupiesabout half of the entire width of the first side member 110 and when thedoor 114 is closed, the latch assembly 300 is positioned to allow latchmember 304 to be positioned on the outer edge of side stop member 306(i.e. to the side nearest the outer frame wire 210). This is only oneembodiment, however, and this disclosure is not intended to be limitedto the illustrated embodiments. One skilled in the art would understandhow a plurality of different locations could be used to implement thedoor stop mechanisms 202, 203 or use different horizontal wires on thefirst side member 110 to restrict and facilitate movement of the door114 between the open and closed positions.

To accommodate movement along the first horizontal wire 206 and secondhorizontal wire 208, the door 114 can include at least a first verticalwire 230 and a second vertical wire 244. The first vertical wire 230 canbe disposed at one end of the door 114 and the second vertical wire 244can be disposed at an opposite end thereof. For instance, in FIG. 2, thefirst vertical wire 230 is disposed near the rightside of the door 114and the second vertical wire 244 is disposed near the leftside of thedoor 114. Other variations are possible, however, and the door 114 caninclude additional vertical wires that facilitate movement alongdirection 200.

The first vertical wire 230 can include a first end 240 and a second end242. The first end 240 can form a hooked end that slidably engages thefirst horizontal wire 206. Likewise, the second end 242 can form ahooked end that slidably engages the second horizontal wire 208. Thehooked ends 240, 242 define an opening that is appropriately sized suchthat the first and second horizontal wires can fit therein. Moreover,the sized openings are sufficiently large to allow for smooth movementof the hooked ends 240, 242 relative to the first and second horizontalwires 206, 208. Similarly, the second vertical wire 244 can include afirst end 246 and a second end 248. The first end 246 can form a hookedend that slidably engages the first horizontal wire 206 and the secondend 248 can form a hooked end that slidably engages the secondhorizontal wire 208. The hooked ends 246, 248 can also define openingssufficiently sized to allow for smooth movement of the hooked ends 246,248 relative to the first and second horizontal wires 206, 208.

Referring to FIGS. 1-3, the hooked ends 240, 242, 246, 248 can bemodified extensions of the vertical wires 230, 244 that form thevertical ends of the door 114. These hooked ends may be positioned toensure the door 114 maintains a substantially planar orientation that isparallel to the side member 110 but allows the door to slidehorizontally along the first horizontal wire 206 and second horizontalwire 208. Moreover, the hooked ends 240, 242 of the first vertical wire230 may contact the door stop mechanisms 202, 203 when the door 114reaches its fully open position (e.g., FIG. 2) and the hooked ends 246,248 of the second vertical wire 244 may contact the door stop mechanisms202, 203 when the door 114 reaches its fully closed position (e.g.,FIGS. 1 and 3).

Turning to FIGS. 2-4, the first side member 110 and door 114 can form alatch assembly 300 for securely maintaining the door 114 in the closedposition (e.g., FIG. 3). The latch assembly 300 can include a contactmember 310 and a latch member 304 that are coupled to the door 114. Thelatch member 304 can be formed by a single wire that is bent in aplurality of locations and then is coupled to a vertical wire 302 of thedoor 114 at a first location 308 and a second location 312. The latchmember 304 may also be coupled to the first vertical wire 230 at a thirdlocation 402 and a fourth location 404. The latch member 304 can bespaced from the vertical wire 230 such that a gap or space d is definedtherebetween to allow the side stop member 306 to be located in thisdefined gap or space d when the door 114 is in the closed position (FIG.3). The manner in which the latch member 304 is coupled to the door 114can be via welding, adhesive, fastener, or other known means to theskilled artisan. The contact member 310 can be coupled to the latchmember 304 in any of a plurality of manners. For instance, the contactmember 310 can be a substantially solid, flat piece of material that canbe bent around an upper and lower portion or wire of the latch member304 to form a press-fit coupling. The contact member 310 may also bewelded, adhered, fastened, or coupled in other known ways. Moreover, thelatch member 304 or contact member 310 may be coupled to a horizontalwire 320 of the door 114 for further rigidity and support of the latchassembly 300.

The latch assembly 300 may also include a portion formed on the firstside member 110. In particular, the first side member 110 can include avertical wire 314 that defines at least one side of the opening 204 (seeFIG. 2). A first support wire 316 and a second support wire 318 can behorizontally disposed along the first side member 110 such that eachsupport wire is coupled at one end to the vertical wire 314 and at anopposite end thereof to the outer frame wire 210 (see FIG. 4A). Inaddition, the latch assembly 300 further includes a side stop member 306which can be formed by a single wire. The side stop member 306 can becoupled to the first support wire 316 near one end and to the secondsupport wire 318 near an opposite end thereof. The side stop member 306can be welded, adhered, fastened, bent in a press-fit coupling, orcoupled in any other known manner to the support wires. The side stopmember 306 can form a substantially U-shaped member except at eachrespective end where the side stop member 306 is coupled to the supportwires.

In order to secure the door 114 to the first side member 110 in theclosed position, the door 114 can be moved laterally in a direction 200towards the side stop member 306. In FIG. 4, for example, the door 114is shown partially opened. To reach the closed position, the latchmember 304 and contact member 310 can be pressed inwardly towards theinterior of the crate 100 while simultaneously moving the door 114towards the side stop member 306. In doing so, the latch member 304 canmove laterally to the opposing side of the side stop member 306 (i.e.,to the side nearest the outer frame wire 210). When the force applied tothe contact member 310 and latch member 304 is released, the latchmember 304 may become disposed at a location opposite the side stopmember 306 as the first vertical wire 230 contacts or engages the sidestop member 306. The latching engagement of the latch member 304 andside stop member 306 can prevent the door 114 from moving or sliding tothe open position (FIG. 2).

To open the latched door 114, the latch member 304 can be disengagedfrom the side stop member 306 by applying a force inwardly against thecontact member 310 or latch member 304 while subsequently moving orsliding the door 114 along direction 200 away from the side stop member306. While the contact member 310 is moved inwardly due to the appliedforce, the latch member 304 may pass behind (i.e., towards the interiorof the crate 100) the side stop member 306 as the door 114 moves towardsthe open position. Once the latch member 304 passes by and clears theside stop member 306 (i.e. the door 114 is in a partially openedposition 400), the inwardly applied force can be released and the door114 may simply be moved in either the open or closed direction 200. Thelatch assembly 300 described in this embodiment is not exhaustive andshould not limit its application. Many latches used in the industry suchas a hook and loop, a sliding member, a wedge and spring etc. should beconsidered as incorporated herein.

This, of course, allows the side door 114 to be opened in such a waythat the door 114 is out of the way and does not interfere withaccessing the interior of the crate. In addition, the side door 114 doesnot swing open and risk scratching, denting, or damaging nearby objectssuch as walls, furniture, etc. When the side door 114 is opened, theopening 200 defined in the first side member 110 allows for access tothe interior of the crate 100.

While one particular embodiment has been described utilizing a slidingdoor located on the first side member 100, it is to be understood thatany of the top member 102, front member 106, back member 108, or secondside member 112 could include a similar door and latch assembly.Moreover, one or more doors may be configured in one or more of themembers so that access to the interior of the crate 100 is possible viatwo or more doors. In addition, the particular orientation of thedifferent wires and direction of moving the respective door should notlimit this disclosure. For instance, one skilled in the art couldunderstand from this disclosure that a wire crate could be designed withat least one door moves vertically instead of horizontally and in anydirection between. Therefore, this disclosure should be seen toencompass the plurality of door member locations and door movementdirections that could be used by applying the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 5, the crate 100 can be easily collapsed into acompact position 500. This can enable the crate 100 to be portable, forexample, in a vehicle or airplane. Moreover, the crate 100 can be easilystored in a box, carton, travelling bag, or other storage means while inthe compact position 500. The crate 100 can be assembled from thecollapsed or compact position 500 to an upright, assembled position asshown in FIG. 1. To do so, the bottom member 104 can be disposed on aflat surface. In this position, the front member 106 is on top with thetop member 102 directly beneath the front member 106. The back member108 can be positioned beneath the top member 102. As shown in FIG. 1,the front member 106 can be hingedly or pivotally coupled to the topmember 102 via a plurality of hooks 116 engaging an outer frame wire 122of the top member 102. Similar to the outer frame wire 210 of the firstside member 110, the outer frame wire 122 of the top member 102 is anoutermost, single wire that forms the dimensions of the top member 102.Like the front member 106, the back member 108 can include a pluralityof hooks 124 that engage the outer frame wire 122 of the top member 102.

The front member 106 can also include a plurality of vertical wireshaving hooked ends 120 (FIG. 1) that overlap a horizontal wire 118 ofthe bottom member 104. In this arrangement, the front member 106 can bedisengaged from the top member 102 by disengaging the plurality of hooks116 from the outer frame wire 122 and pivoting the front member 106about the horizontal wire 118 of the bottom member. In this manner, thefront member 106 is removably coupled to the top member 102 andpivotally coupled to the bottom member 104. The back member 108 caninclude similar hooked ends for engaging a horizontal wire on the bottommember 104 such that it is similarly coupled to the top member 102 andbottom member 104 as the front member 106.

Thus, based on the connections between the front member 106 and backmember 108 relative to the top member 102 and bottom member 104, thecrate 100 can be assembled to its upright position of FIG. 1 by pivotingthe front member 106 about the horizontal wire 118 of the bottom member104 and then lifting the top member 102. The top member 102 can belifted to a position so that the back member 108 can be pivoted aboutthe bottom member 104 to a substantially upright position. Once thefront member 106 and back member 108 are pivoted to substantiallyupright positions, the plurality of hooks 116 on the front member 106and plurality of hooks 124 on the back member 108 can be engaged to theouter frame wire 122 of the top member 102 to complete the assembly ofthe crate 100.

To collapse the crate 100 from the upright position of FIG. 1 to thecollapsed or compact position 500 of FIG. 5, the steps above can bereversed. Namely, the front member 106 and back member 108 can bedisengaged from the top member 102. One of the front member 106 and backmember 108 can be pivoted relative to the bottom member 104 and disposedin a position above the bottom member 104. The first side member 110 andsecond side member 112 can pivot relative to the top member 102 andbottom member 104 and collapse on top of the previously collapsed frontmember 106 or back member 108. The uncollapsed front member 106 or backmember 108 can then be folded on top of the other members to fullycollapse the crate to its compact position 500.

In the previously described embodiment, the front and back members canbe removably coupled to the top member 102. In another embodiment, thefront and back members can be removably coupled to the bottom member104. Moreover, the first side member 110 and second side member 112 arepivotally coupled to the top member 102 and bottom member 104 to form acontinuous structure. In an alternative embodiment, however, the frontand back members can be pivotally coupled to the top and bottom membersto form a continuous structure. In this alternative embodiment, thefirst side member 110 and second side member 112 can be removablycoupled to one of the top member 102 and bottom member 104 so that thecrate 100 can be collapsed to its compact position 500 of FIG. 5. In yetanother alternative embodiment, each of the front member 106, backmember 108, first side member 110, and second side member 112 can beremovably coupled to the top member 102 and bottom member 104. Here,each of the six members can be completely disengaged from one anotherand stacked on top of one another to form a compact structure. Or, thetop member 102 and bottom member 104 can be removably coupled to one ofthe front member 106, back member 108, first side member 110, and secondside member 112 and the front member 106, back member 108, first sidemember 110, and second side member 112 can form a continuous structure.

In a similar embodiment, the first side member 110 and second sidemember 112 can be folded inwardly on top of the bottom member 104. Inthis configuration, the front member 106, top member 102, and backmember 108 are collapsed on top of the first side member 110 and secondside member 112. The first side member 110 and second side member 112can be hingedly or pivotally coupled to the bottom member 104 toaccommodate this means for collapsing the crate 100. These members canbe removably coupled or fixedly coupled to the bottom member 104. Assuch, in another related embodiment, it can be possible for the topmember 102, front member 106, and back member 108 to first collapse ontop of the bottom member 104 and then for the first side member 110 andsecond side member 112 to fold on top thereof, with either the firstside member 110 or second side member 112 resting on top of the other.

As another method for assembling the crate from the collapsed position,the top member 102 can be lifted away from the front member 106 to aposition in which the top member 102 is substantially parallel anddirectly above the bottom member 104. In this position, the front member106 and back member 108 are substantially upright and parallel to oneanother. Once the top member 102, front member 106, and back member 108are arranged in their upright positions, the first side member 110 andsecond side member 112 can be assembled. In one exemplary embodiment,the first side member 110 can be latched to the second side member 112via a hook or other fastener (not shown), and to assemble, the two sidemembers are disengaged from one another. The first side member 110 canthen be raised to an upright position. The first side member 110 can becoupled to the top member 102 in a plurality of ways including aspreviously described. For instance, one such way is by aligning hookswhich extend outward from the first side member 110 with an end wire onthe top member 102. Clips or other fasteners may also be used forcoupling the first side member 110 to the top member 102 and/or thefront member 106 and back member 108.

Similarly, the second side member 112 can be lifted from its collapsedposition to an upright position. In its upright position, the secondside member 112 can be coupled to the top member 102 by aligning hooksnear the top edge of the member with an end wire of the top member 102.Clips or other fasteners may be used to further couple the second sidemember 112 to the top member 102 and/or front member 106 and back member108. The members may be coupled in other ways known to the skilledartisan. For instance, in another embodiment, the top member 102 caninclude hooks that engage the first side member 110 and second member112.

Referring to FIG. 6, another embodiment of a crate 600 is shown. Thecrate 600 can be formed of substantially horizontal and vertical wiresthat overlap one another to define an interior portion. One or more ofthe horizontal wires can be coupled to one or more of the verticalwires, and vice versa, to add structural integrity to the crate 600. Forinstance, the wires may be welded, adhered, fastened, or coupled to oneanother through a variety of means. The crate 600 can include a topmember 602, a bottom member 604, a front member 606, and a back member608. The crate 600 can further include a first side member 610 and asecond side member 612, where the first side member 610 is oppositelydisposed from the second side member 612. The dimensions of each membercan vary to accommodate the size of any animal, for example. In anupright, fully assembled orientation or position, the top member 602,bottom member 604, front member 606, back member 608, first side member610, and second side member 612 can define an interior of the crate 600which is sized to receive and accommodate an animal or other object, asdesired.

In one aspect, the front member 606, back member 608, top member 602,and bottom member 604 can form a continuous structure. In other words,these members can be fixedly attached to one another. Alternatively, thetop member 602, bottom member 604, first side member 610, and secondside member 612 can form a continuous structure such that the top member602 and bottom member 604 are affixed to the first side member 610 andsecond side member 612. In a different aspect, each member may beremovably coupled to one another such that the different members areremovably coupled to one another. In the illustrated example of FIG. 6,a plurality of clips 622 can be used to fasten or couple the top member602 to the front member 606 and the back member 608. Similar clips orfasteners can be used to couple the other members of the crate 600.

Each of the top member 602, bottom member 604, front member 606, backmember 608, first side member 610, and second side member 612 can beformed by a plurality of overlapping horizontal and vertical wires orrods. The number of horizontal and vertical wires as well as the spacingtherebetween can vary. If a smaller animal is being contained in thecrate 600, the spacing may be desirably smaller than if a larger animalis being contained.

In FIG. 6, the first side member 610 of the crate 600 can define a doorframe which includes corresponding structure for accommodating a door614. The door 614 can also be made of substantially overlappinghorizontal and vertical wires as shown in FIG. 6. Further, the door 614can be movably disposed between an open position and a closed position.In the open position, i.e., in FIG. 9, the first side member 610 definesan opening 902 that provides access to the interior of the crate 600.

The crate 600 can further include a latch assembly 616 pivotably coupledto the door 614 to be releasably coupled to the first side member 610 tomaintain or latch the door 614 in a closed position 800. The first sidemember 610 can form a portion of a door frame for the door 614, and asshown in FIG. 6 can be formed by a plurality of horizontally andvertically disposed wires.

The front member 606 can be offset or spaced from the bottom member 604to define a slot or opening 618 therebetween. In this manner, a pan (notshown), tray, pet bed, blanket or other apparatus can be slidablypositioned above the bottom member 604 in the opening 618. In thismanner, an animal being contained within the crate 600 can rest on amore comfortable pet bed, comforter, tray, pan, etc. In the embodimentof FIG. 6, the first side member 610 and the second side member 612 caninclude support wires 620 disposed in connection with the bottom member604 to prevent the pet bed (not shown) from shifting laterally from theconfined space. The back member 608 can also include similar supportwires 620 to further position the pet bed, tray, pan, etc. within thedefined opening 618. In this configuration, the pan, bed, tray, etc. mayonly be positioned within the defined opening 618 in the front member606. Although not shown, the crate 600 can further include a latch orother mechanism to prevent the bed, pan, tray, etc. from sliding ormoving out of position via the opening 618 (i.e., due to movement of theanimal inside the crate).

In FIG. 7, the first side member 610 and door 614 are shown in greaterdetail. The first side member 610 can form a door frame for the door 614such that the door 614 is slidably coupled thereto. As described aboveand shown in the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 7, the door 614 can beformed by a plurality of interconnected horizontal and vertical wires.For instance, the door 614 can include a first horizontal wire 700 thatextends from one end of the door 614 to the other end. The firsthorizontal wire 700 can include a bent end 702 as shown. The bent end702 can have a degree of elasticity such that it can be elasticallymoved inward and outward (i.e., towards and away from the first sidemember 610.

The first side member 610 can include a catch member 704 formed by asingle, oval-shaped wire. The catch member 704 defines an openingtherein that can receive the bent end 702 of the first horizontal wire700 in a latched position. The bent end 702 can bias outwardly away fromthe first side member 610 such that when positioned in the definedopening of the catch member 704, the catch member 704 can substantiallyrestrain or hold the bent end 702 in a position to prevent the door 614from easily being slid or moved from the closed position 800.

The door 614 can also include a first vertical wire 706 and a secondvertical wire 708. The first vertical wire 706 and the second verticalwire 708 are disposed at opposite ends of the door 614, where the bentend 702 of the first horizontal wire is coupled to the first verticalwire 706. In one aspect, the bent end 702 can be coupled near or at themidpoint or center of the first vertical wire 706. The first verticalwire 706 includes two ends, with a first end 714 forming a curled endand the second end 716 being substantially straight. Similarly, thesecond vertical wire 708 includes two ends, with a first end 710 forminga curled end and the second end 712 being substantially straight.

To accommodate the sliding or lateral movement of the door 614 relativeto the first side member 610, the first side member 610 can include aplurality of tracks or guides. For example, in FIG. 7, the first sidemember 610 can include a first guide member 718, a second guide member720, a third guide member 722, and a fourth guide member 724. As shownin both FIGS. 7 and 7A, the first guide member 718 and the second guidemember 720 are formed as substantially oval or looped shaped structures.The first guide member 718 can define a first guide opening 726 and thesecond guide member 720 can define a second guide opening 728. Althoughnot shown, the third guide member 722 and fourth guide member 724 canalso form similar defined guide openings therein. These oval-shapedstructures, however, are only shown as illustrative examples. The guidemembers can be bent, curved, or otherwise formed to provide guide wires,tracks, channels, openings, etc.

Each guide opening has a first end and a second end defined by therespective guide member. In FIG. 7A, for example, the first guide member718 has an end 730 that defines one end of the guide opening 726.Likewise, the second guide member 720 has an end 732 that defines oneend of the guide opening 728. The respective ends 730, 732 can abut oneanother such that both guide members 718, 720 are in contact with oneanother or are spaced from one another such that a gap exists betweeneach respective end 730, 732. In this manner, the length of travel ofthe door 614 can be defined by the distance between the respective endsof the guide openings (i.e., the travel distance along the first guidemember 718 is defined between ends 908 and 730, and the travel distancealong the second guide member 720 is defined between ends 910 and 732).

As also shown in the illustrative embodiments of FIGS. 6-9, the firstguide member 718, the second guide member 720, the third guide member722, and the fourth guide member 724 can each be formed by a singlewire. As such, each wire can be bent, curled, or otherwise formed todefine how the door 614 moves laterally with respect to the first sidemember 610.

As shown in FIGS. 7 and 7A, the first end 714 of the first vertical wire706 forms a loop or curled end such that the first end 714 is coupled tothe first guide member 718. Likewise, the first end 710 of the secondvertical wire 708 forms a loop or curled end that is coupled to thesecond guide wire 720. The first ends of both vertical wires can sliderelative to the first guide member 718 and second guide member 720 toallow the door 614 to move between the closed position 800, an openposition 900, and any position therebetween.

The first vertical wire 706 can have a length such that the second end716 thereof protrudes through the defined opening of the third guidemember 722. Similarly, the second vertical wire 708 can have a lengthsuch that the second end 712 can protrude through the defined opening ofthe fourth guide member 724. In this configuration, an animal cannotpush the door 614 outward due to the interference created by the secondends of both vertical wires being at least partially captured in thedefined openings of both guide members.

While the guide members are shown as forming loop or oval likestructures, this is only illustrated as one example. In other examples,the first and second guide members can be single, substantially straightwires along which the first ends of both vertical wires slide. The thirdand fourth guide members may also be a single wire that is disposedoutwardly from the first side member 610 such that the second ends ofboth vertical wires is disposed between respective guide wire and thefirst side member 610. Other tracks, channels, guides, etc. can be usedto facilitate substantially linear movement of the door 614 relative tothe first side member 610.

In the illustrated embodiments of FIGS. 8, 8A, and 9, the latch 616 isshown as being released or decoupled from the first side member 610 tofurther facilitate movement of the door 614 relative to the first sidemember 610. The latch 616 can include a first end 814 and a second end816 that are pivotally coupled to the first horizontal wire 700 of thedoor 614. The second end 816 of the latch 616 can further include alatching mechanism 806 in the form of a bend or curve in a wire. In FIG.9, the latch 616 and latching mechanism 806 are shown as being formed bya single wire. The single wire can include a first bend 912, a secondbend 914, and a third bend 916. The first bend 912 can be defined atapproximately the same location along the single wire as the second end816, where the latch 616 is pivotably coupled to the first horizontalwire 700 of the door 614.

In the closed position 800 of FIGS. 7 and 8, a horizontal wire 804 ofthe first side member 610 can be coupled or latched by the latchingmechanism 806. Here, the second bend 914 can define an opening forreceiving the horizontal wire 804 of the first side member 610 or doorframe. The latching mechanism 806 can prevent or limit movement of thedoor 614 in the lateral direction when the latching mechanism 806engages or couples to the horizontal wire 804. To release the latchingmechanism 806, the latch 616 is pivoted to the position 802 shown inFIG. 8, whereby the latching mechanism 806 is clear and no longercoupled to the horizontal wire 804.

Once the latching mechanism 806 is decoupled from the horizontal wire804, the door 614 can be moved from the closed position 800 by alsoreleasing or decoupling the bent end 702 of the first horizontal wire700 from the catch member 704. As shown in FIG. 8A, the catch member 704can be a single wire coupled to a first support wire 808 and a secondsupport wire 812 of the first side member 610. As shown, the first andsecond support wires can be substantially horizontal wires to which thecatch member 704 can be welded, fastened, adhered, or coupled in otherknown ways. The catch member 704 can define an opening 810 through whichthe bent end 702 is disposed in the closed position 800. Since the bentend 702 can be elastically biased or deformed away from the door 614 tothereby latch or couple to the catch member 704, to move the door 614from the closed position 800 the bent end 702 can be pushed inward torelease or disengage the door 614 from the catch member 704.

Referring to FIG. 9, the door 614 is shown in the open position 900. Inthis position, an opening or access 902 is defined between the door 614and the first side member 610. The size of the opening or access 902 canbe varied by moving the door 614 in the direction indicated by arrow906. In addition, the latch 616 remains in a pivot position 904 toprevent the latching mechanism 806 from engaging the horizontal wire 804of the first side member 610. Since each of the plurality of verticalwires of the first side member 610 is spaced, the door 614 can be movedto and maintained in a partially open position by coupling the latchingmechanism 806 with the horizontal wire 804 at approximately any locationalong its length between any two of the plurality of vertical wires thatform the first side member 610.

As described above and also shown in FIG. 9, the first guide member 718can be formed by a single wire. The first end 714 of the first verticalwire 706 can move along the first guide member 718, and the length oftravel can be defined by the length of the first guide member 718. Thefirst guide member 718 can include one end 730 and an opposite end 908such that the first end 714 of the first vertical wire 706 can travelthe length defined by the distance between the first end 730 and secondend 908. Likewise, the second guide member 720 can be formed by a singlewire having a length defined between a first end 732 and a second end910. The distance between the first end 732 and the second end 910 candefine the length of travel by the first end 710 of the second verticalwire 708. In one aspect, the lengths of the first guide member and thesecond guide member is about the same. In other words, the first ends ofboth vertical wires of the door 614 can travel about the same distancebetween the open and closed positions. In other embodiments, the lengthsmay differ and thus the lateral movement of the door 614 is defined bythe smaller of the two openings.

In another example, the third guide member 722 can define a length thatis similar to or the same as the length of the first guide member 718.The fourth guide member 724 can have approximately the same length asthe second guide member 720. In other examples, the lengths or openingsizes of the guide members may differ, and the guide member having theshortest of the lengths or opening sizes can define the travel distanceof the door 614.

The crate 600 can also be collapsed into a collapsed position similar tothat of FIG. 5. The crate 600 can also include a tray or pan that can beremovably positioned or coupled to the crate.

Referring to FIG. 10, yet another embodiment of a collapsible crate 1000is shown. The crate 1000 can be formed of substantially horizontal andvertical wires that overlap one another to define an interior portion.One or more of the horizontal wires can be coupled to one or more of thevertical wires, and vice versa, to add structural integrity to the crate1000. For instance, the wires may be welded, adhered, fastened, orcoupled to one another through a variety of means. The crate 1000 caninclude a top member 1002, a bottom member 1004, a front member 1006,and a back member 1008. The crate 1000 can further include a first sidemember 1010 and a second side member 1012, where the first side member1010 is oppositely disposed from the second side member 1012. Thedimensions of each member can vary to accommodate the size of anyanimal, for example. In an upright, fully assembled orientation orposition, the top member 1002, bottom member 1004, front member 1006,back member 1008, first side member 1010, and second side member 1012can define an interior of the crate 1000 which is sized to receive andaccommodate an animal or other object, as desired.

In one aspect, the front member 1006, back member 1008, top member 1002,and bottom member 1004 can form a continuous structure. In other words,these members can be fixedly attached to one another. Alternatively, thetop member 1002, bottom member 1004, first side member 1010, and secondside member 1012 can form a continuous structure such that the topmember 1002 and bottom member 1004 are affixed to the first side member1010 and second side member 1012. In a different aspect, each member maybe removably coupled to one another such that the different members areremovably coupled to one another. In the illustrated example of FIG. 10,a plurality of clips 1022 can be used to fasten or couple the top member1002 to the front member 1006 and the back member 1008. Similar clips orfasteners can be used to couple the other members of the crate 1000.

Each of the top member 1002, bottom member 1004, front member 1006, backmember 1008, first side member 1010, and second side member 1012 can beformed by a plurality of overlapping horizontal and vertical wires orrods. The number of horizontal and vertical wires as well as the spacingtherebetween can vary. If a smaller animal is being contained in thecrate 1000, the spacing may be desirably smaller than if a larger animalis being contained.

In FIG. 10, the first side member 1010 of the crate 1000 can define adoor frame which includes corresponding structure for accommodating adoor 1014. The door 1014 can also be made of substantially overlappinghorizontal and vertical wires as shown in FIG. 10. Further, the door1014 can be movably disposed between an open position 1200 and a closedposition 1100. In the open position, i.e., in FIG. 12, the first sidemember 1010 defines an opening 1202 that provides access to the interiorof the crate 1000.

The crate 1000 can further include a latch assembly 1016 pivotablycoupled to the door 1014 to be releasably coupled to the first sidemember 1010 to maintain or latch the door 1014 in a closed position1100. The first side member 1010 can form a portion of a door frame forthe door 1014, and as shown in FIG. 10 can be formed by a plurality ofhorizontally and vertically disposed wires.

The front member 1006 can be offset or spaced from the bottom member1004 to define a slot or opening 1018 therebetween. In this manner, apan (not shown), tray, pet bed, blanket or other apparatus can beslidably positioned above the bottom member 1004 in the opening 1018. Inthis manner, an animal being contained within the crate 1000 can rest ona more comfortable pet bed, comforter, tray, pan, etc. In the embodimentof FIG. 10, the first side member 1010, the second side member 1012,and/or the bottom member 1004 can include support wires 1020 disposed inconnection with the bottom member 1004 to prevent the pet bed (notshown) from shifting laterally from the confined space. The back member1008 can also include similar support wires 1020 to further position thepet bed, tray, pan, etc. within the defined opening 1018. In thisconfiguration, the pan, bed, tray, etc. may only be positioned withinthe defined opening 1018 in the front member 1006. Although not shown,the crate 1000 can further include a latch or other mechanism to preventthe bed, pan, tray, etc. from sliding or moving out of position via theopening 1018 (i.e., due to movement of the animal inside the crate).

In FIGS. 11 and 11A, the first side member 1010 and door 1014 are shownin greater detail. The first side member 1010 can form a door frame forthe door 1014 such that the door 1014 is slidably coupled thereto. Asubstantially U-shaped catch member 1102 can be coupled to the firstside member 1010. The catch member 1102 is coupled to the first sidemember 1010 via an outer wire 1103 at a first end 1104 and a second end1106. In this embodiment, the catch member 1102 forms an open-endedstructure in which the first end 1104 and second end 1106 are spacedfrom one another and coupled to the outer wire 1103.

A fixed vertical wire 1112 can be disposed adjacent to and parallel withthe outer wire 1103 of the first side member 1010, and the wire 1112 maydefine one edge of the door frame. The catch member 1102 can also becoupled to the fixed vertical wire 1112 at a first location 1108 and asecond location 1110 for stability. The catch member 1102 may be formedof a single or multiple wires. In the embodiment of FIG. 11, the firstend 1104 may be axially aligned with the first location 1108, and thesecond end 1106 may be axially aligned with the second location 1110. Inone example, the axis along which the first end 1104 and first location1108 are aligned may be substantially parallel to the axis along whichthe second end 1106 and the second location 1110 are aligned.

The catch member 1102 may be bent and protrudes outwardly from the firstside member 1010 (i.e., in a direction away from the interior of thecrate) as shown in FIG. 11A. Thus, the catch member 1102 may be alignedpartially within a first plane and a second plane, where the first andsecond planes may be approximately perpendicular to one another.

The sliding mechanism for the door 1014 of crate 1000 is substantiallysimilar to the sliding mechanism of the previously described embodimentshown in FIGS. 6-9. The first guide member 718, second guide member 720,third guide member 722, and fourth guide member 724 are coupled to thefirst side member 1010 and guide the lateral movement of the door 1014as it opens and closes. As shown in FIG. 11, the first guide member 718and the second guide member 720 are formed as substantially oval orlooped shaped structures. The first guide member 718 can define a firstguide opening 726 and the second guide member 720 can define a secondguide opening 728. Although not shown, the third guide member 722 andfourth guide member 724 can also form similar defined guide openingstherein. These oval-shaped structures, however, are only shown asillustrative examples. The guide members can be bent, curved, orotherwise formed to provide guide wires, tracks, channels, openings,etc.

Each guide opening has a first end and a second end defined by therespective guide member. For example, the first guide member 718 has anend 730 that defines one end of the guide opening 726. Likewise, thesecond guide member 720 has an end 732 that defines one end of the guideopening 728. The respective ends 730, 732 can abut one another such thatboth guide members 718, 720 are in contact with one another or arespaced from one another such that a gap exists between each respectiveend 730, 732. In this manner, the length of travel of the door 1014 canbe defined by the distance between the respective ends of the guideopenings (i.e., the travel distance along the first guide member 718 isdefined between ends 908 and 730, and the travel distance along thesecond guide member 720 is defined between ends 910 and 732).

As also shown in the illustrative embodiments of FIGS. 10-12, the firstguide member 718, the second guide member 720, the third guide member722, and the fourth guide member 724 can each be formed by a singlewire. As such, each wire can be bent, curled, or otherwise formed todefine how the door 1014 moves laterally with respect to the first sidemember 1010.

Further, the functionality and features of the second vertical wire 708of the crate 600 may be incorporated in the illustrated crate 1000 ofFIG. 10. The curled end 710 of the second vertical wire 708 slidablycouples with the second guide wire 720 in the guide opening 728. Thestraight end 712 fits into the guide opening of the fourth guide member724 simultaneously. Similarly, a first vertical wire 1114 has a curledend 714 that fits in the guide opening 726 and slidably couples with thefirst guide member 718. Additionally, the straight end 716 of the firstvertical wire 1114 fits into the guide opening and slidably couples withthe third guide member 722.

The first vertical wire 1114 differs from the first vertical wire 706 ofprevious embodiments (shown in FIGS. 6-9) in that it contains a U-shapedbend 1116 between the curled end 714 and the straight end 716. TheU-shaped bend 1116 of the first vertical wire 1114 can mirror thecontour of the bend formed by the substantially U-shaped design of thecatch member 1102 such that the catch member 1102 and the first verticalwire 1114 lie partially on the same plane, but do not interfere with oneanother. When the door 1014 is in the closed position 1100, U-shapedbend 1116 of the first vertical wire 1114 forms a recessed area in whichthe catch member 1102 is received. As such, the catch member 1102 may ormay not contact the first vertical wire 1114, but whether there iscontact or not the two do not interfere with the functionality of thelatch 1016 due to the outward bend defined in the U-shaped portion ofthe catch member 1102.

As shown in FIG. 11, the first end 714 of the first vertical wire 1114forms a loop or curled end such that the first end 714 is coupled to thefirst guide member 718. Likewise, the first end 710 of the secondvertical wire 708 forms a loop or curled end that is coupled to thesecond guide wire 720. The first ends of both vertical wires can sliderelative to the first guide member 718 and second guide member 720 toallow the door 1014 to move between the closed position 1100, an openposition 1200, and any position therebetween.

The first vertical wire 1114 can have a length such that the second end716 thereof protrudes through the defined opening of the third guidemember 722. Similarly, the second vertical wire 708 can have a lengthsuch that the second end 712 can protrude through the defined opening ofthe fourth guide member 724. In this configuration, an animal cannotpush the door 1014 outward due to the interference created by the secondends of both vertical wires being at least partially captured in thedefined openings of both guide members.

While the guide members are shown as forming loop or oval likestructures, this is only illustrated as one example. In other examples,the first and second guide members can be single wires along which thefirst ends of both vertical wires slide. The third and fourth guidemembers may also be a single wire that is disposed outwardly from thefirst side member 1010 such that the second ends of both vertical wiresis disposed between respective guide wire and the first side member1010. Other tracks, channels, guides, etc. can be used to facilitatesubstantially linear movement of the door 1014 relative to the firstside member 1010.

FIG. 11A demonstrates the latch assembly 1016 when it is in the closedposition 1100. The latch assembly 1016 may include three components: abolt 1118, a lever 1120, and a latch component 1122. The latch component1122 is the base of the latch assembly 1016 and can include a wire bentinto a substantially rectangular shape. Other possible designs of thelatch component 1122 may include oval, square, circle, or other knownshape. A first latch wire 1124 of the door 1014 is disposed adjacent toand spaced from the first vertical wire 1114. The latch component 1122can be coupled to the first latch wire 1124 at a first latch location1128 and a second latch location 1130. A second latch wire 1126 can beadjacent to and spaced from the first latch wire 1124. The latchcomponent 1122 can also be attached to the second latch wire 1126 at athird latch location 1132 and a fourth latch location 1134. Depending onthe spacing between the vertical wires of the door 1014, the latchcomponent 1122 can be coupled at more than just four locations. In oneaspect, the first and third latch locations 1128, 1132 may be alignedwith the first location 1108 and the first end 1104 of the catch member1102. Additionally, the second and fourth latch locations 1130, 1134 maybe aligned with the second location 1110 and the second end 1106 of thecatch member 1102.

In one aspect, substantially straight portions of the latch component1122 may lie between the first latch location 1128 and the third latchlocation 1132 and also between the second latch location 1130 and thefourth latch location 1134. To accommodate the bolt 1118, the latchcomponent may define two bolt openings 1136. The bolt openings 1136 caninclude a first bolt opening defined between the first latch location1128 and the second latch location 1130, and a second bolt openingdefined between the third latch location 1132 and the fourth latchlocation 1134. To form the bolt openings 1136, the latch component 1122may protrude outwardly from the first side member 1010 to allow the bolt1118 to fit and slide therebetween. The bolt 1118 is free to rotate andslide axially relative to the latch component 1122. In a differentembodiment, the bolt 1118 may only rotate freely relative to the latchcomponent 1122 but is otherwise fixed from sliding relative thereto.

The bolt 1118 may include a substantially straight end 1138 disposedfurthest from the catch member 1102 and a bent end 1140 disposed nearestthe catch member 1102. The bent end 1140 is located outside of aperimeter defined by the latch component 1122, and when in the closedposition 1100, the bent end 1140 may rest against the catch member 1102to lock the door 1014. When in the locked position (illustrated in FIGS.10-11A) or when in the resting position (illustrated in the openposition 1200 in FIG. 12), the bent end 1140 of the bolt 1118 may pointoutwardly from the first side member 1010.

The lever 1120 may be a single wire coupled to the bolt 1118. The lever1120 may hang below the bold 1118 and form a U-shaped bend. The lever1120 can have a first end 1142 and a second end 1144. The first end 1142is coupled to the bolt 1118 nearest the bent end 1140, but inside theperimeter of the latch component 1122. The first end 1142 can be affixedto an inner facing portion of the bolt 1118. The lever 1120 is alsocoupled to the inner facing portion of the bolt 1118 at the second end1144. The second end 1144 is coupled to the bolt 1118 within theperimeter of the latch component 1122.

The lever 1120 is affixed solely to the bolt 1118 so the lever 1120 isfree to rotate about an axis defined by the bolt 1118. Pivoting thelever 1120 away from the first side member 1010 can cause the bolt 1118to rotate. The bent end 1140 of the bolt 1118 latches the door 1014 whenit couples to the U-shaped portion of the catch member 1102 while in theclosed position 1100. By rotating the bolt 1118 so that the bent end1140 uncouples from the catch member 1102, the door 1014 may be moved ina lateral direction 1206 so that the door 1014 may be disposed in itsopen position 1200.

By rotating the bolt 1118 so that the bent end 1140 faces upwards, thelatch assembly 1016 can be positioned to move to or from the closedposition 1100. The door 1014 can be moved in a lateral direction 1206until the bent end 1140 is able to latch or couple to the catch member1102. By pivoting the lever 1120 into the resting position below thebolt 1118, the bolt 1118 can be coupled to the catch member 1102 and thedoor 1014 may be latched in the closed position 1100.

The crate 1000 can also be collapsed into a collapsed position similarto that of FIG. 5. The crate 1000 can also include a tray or pan thatcan be removably positioned or coupled to the crate.

Referring to FIG. 13, yet another embodiment of a collapsible crate 1300is shown. The crate 1300 can be formed of substantially horizontal andvertical wires that overlap one another to define an interior portion.One or more of the horizontal wires can be coupled to one or more of thevertical wires, and vice versa, to add structural integrity to the crate1300. For instance, the wires may be welded, adhered, fastened, orcoupled to one another through a variety of means. The crate 1300 caninclude a top member 1002, a bottom member 1004, a front member 1006,and a back member 1008. The crate 1300 can further include a first sidemember 1010 and a second side member 1012, where the first side member1010 is oppositely disposed from the second side member 1012. Thedimensions of each member can vary to accommodate the size of anyanimal, for example. In an upright, fully assembled orientation orposition, the top member 1002, bottom member 1004, front member 1006,back member 1008, first side member 1010, and second side member 1012can define an interior of the crate 1300 which is sized to receive andaccommodate an animal or other object, as desired.

In one aspect, the front member 1006, back member 1008, top member 1002,and bottom member 1004 can form a continuous structure. In other words,these members can be fixedly attached to one another. Alternatively, thetop member 1002, bottom member 1004, first side member 1010, and secondside member 1012 can form a continuous structure such that the topmember 1002 and bottom member 1004 are affixed to the first side member1010 and second side member 1012. In a different aspect, each member maybe removably coupled to one another such that the different members areremovably coupled to one another. In the illustrated example of FIG. 13,a plurality of clips 1022 can be used to fasten or couple the top member1002 to the front member 1006 and the back member 1008. Similar clips orfasteners can be used to couple the other members of the crate 1300.

Each of the top member 1002, bottom member 1004, front member 1006, backmember 1008, first side member 1010, and second side member 1012 can beformed by a plurality of overlapping horizontal and vertical wires orrods. The number of horizontal and vertical wires as well as the spacingtherebetween can vary. If a smaller animal is being contained in thecrate 1300, the spacing may be desirably smaller than if a larger animalis being contained.

In FIG. 13, the first side member 1010 of the crate 1300 can define adoor frame which includes corresponding structure for accommodating adoor 1014. The door 1014 can also be made of substantially overlappinghorizontal and vertical wires as shown in FIG. 13. Further, the door1014 can be movably disposed between an open position 1500 and a closedposition 1400. In the open position 1500, i.e., in FIG. 15, the firstside member 1010 defines an opening 1202 that provides access to theinterior of the crate 1300.

The crate 1300 can further include a latch assembly 1302 pivotablycoupled to the door 1014 to be releasably coupled to the first sidemember 1010 to maintain or latch the door 1014 in a closed position1400. The first side member 1010 can form a portion of a door frame forthe door 1014, and as shown in FIG. 13 can be formed by a plurality ofhorizontally and vertically disposed wires.

The front member 1006 can be offset or spaced from the bottom member1004 to define a slot or opening 1018 therebetween. In this manner, apan (not shown), tray, pet bed, blanket or other apparatus can beslidably positioned above the bottom member 1004 in the opening 1018. Inthis manner, an animal being contained within the crate 1300 can rest ona more comfortable pet bed, comforter, tray, pan, etc. In the embodimentof FIG. 13, the first side member 1010, the second side member 1012,and/or the bottom member 1004 can include support wires 1020 disposed inconnection with the bottom member 1004 to prevent the pet bed (notshown) from shifting laterally from the confined space. The back member1008 can also include similar support wires 1020 to further position thepet bed, tray, pan, etc. within the defined opening 1018. In thisconfiguration, the pan, bed, tray, etc. may only be positioned withinthe defined opening 1018 in the front member 1006. Although not shown,the crate 1300 can further include a latch or other mechanism to preventthe bed, pan, tray, etc. from sliding or moving out of position via theopening 1018 (i.e., due to movement of the animal inside the crate).

In FIGS. 14 and 14A, the first side member 1010 and door 1014 are shownin greater detail. The first side member 1010 can form a door frame forthe door 1014 such that the door 1014 is slidably coupled thereto. Asubstantially rectangular catch member 1402 can be coupled to the firstside member 1010. Alternative designs for the catch member 1402 arecontemplated herein including designs that are substantially square,circular, oval, triangular, etc. The catch member 1402 may be formed bya single wire having a first end 1404 and a second end 1406 that cancome together as shown in FIG. 14A. Both ends 1404, 1406 can define aportion of the catch member 1402 that couples with the outer wire 1103.In one aspect, the catch member 1402 can be formed by a single wire withthe first end 1404 integrally formed with the second end 1406. In thisaspect, the catch member 1402 forms a closed-ended design.Alternatively, the first end 1404 can be spaced from the second end1406, but the spacing between the two ends is less than the spacingbetween the first end 1104 and second end 1106 of the catch member 1102in FIG. 11A. The catch member 1402 is coupled to the first side member1010 via an outer wire 1103. A fixed vertical wire 1112 can be disposedadjacent to and parallel with the outer wire 1103 of the first sidemember 1010, and the wire 1112 may define one edge of the door frame.The catch member 1402 can also be coupled to the fixed vertical wire1112 at a first location 1108 and a second location 1110 for stability.The catch member 1402 may be bent to protrude outwardly from the firstside member 1010 as shown in FIG. 14A.

The sliding mechanism for the door 1014 of crate 1300 is substantiallysimilar to the sliding mechanism of the previously described embodimentshown in FIGS. 6-9. The first guide member 718, second guide member 720,third guide member 722, and fourth guide member 724 are coupled to thefirst side member 1010 and guide the lateral movement of the door 1014as it opens and closes. As shown in FIG. 14, the first guide member 718and the second guide member 720 are formed as substantially oval orlooped shaped structures. The first guide member 718 can define a firstguide opening 726 and the second guide member 720 can define a secondguide opening 728. Although not shown, the third guide member 722 andfourth guide member 724 can also form similar defined guide openingstherein. These oval-shaped structures, however, are only shown asillustrative examples. The guide members can be bent, curved, orotherwise formed to provide guide wires, tracks, channels, openings,etc.

Each guide opening has a first end and a second end defined by therespective guide member. For example, the first guide member 718 has anend 730 that defines one end of the guide opening 726. Likewise, thesecond guide member 720 has an end 732 that defines one end of the guideopening 728. The respective ends 730, 732 can abut one another such thatboth guide members 718, 720 are in contact with one another or arespaced from one another such that a gap exists between each respectiveend 730, 732. In this manner, the length of travel of the door 1014 canbe defined by the distance between the respective ends of the guideopenings (i.e., the travel distance along the first guide member 718 isdefined between ends 908 and 730, and the travel distance along thesecond guide member 720 is defined between ends 910 and 732).

As also shown in the illustrative embodiments of FIGS. 13-15, the firstguide member 718, the second guide member 720, the third guide member722, and the fourth guide member 724 can each be formed by a singlewire. As such, each wire can be bent, curled, or otherwise formed todefine how the door 1014 moves laterally with respect to the first sidemember 1010.

Further, the functionality and features of the second vertical wire 708of the crate 600 may be incorporated in the illustrated crate 1300 ofFIG. 13. The curled end 710 of the second vertical wire 708 slidablycouples with the second guide wire 720 in the guide opening 728. Thestraight end 712 fits into the guide opening of the fourth guide member724 simultaneously. Similarly, a first vertical wire 1114 has a curledend 714 that fits in the guide opening 726 and slidably couples with thefirst guide member 718. Additionally, the straight end 716 of the firstvertical wire 1114 fits into the guide opening and slidably couples withthe third guide member 722.

The first vertical wire 1114 differs from the first vertical wire 706 ofprevious embodiments (shown in FIGS. 6-9) in that it contains a U-shapedbend 1116 between the curled end 714 and the straight end 716. TheU-shaped bend 1116 of the first vertical wire 1114 can mirror thecontour of the bend formed by the substantially rectangular design ofthe catch member 1402 such that the catch member 1402 and the firstvertical wire 1114 lie partially on the same plane, but do not interferewith one another. When the door 1014 is in the closed position 1400, thefirst vertical wire 1114 and the catch member 1402 can contact eachother without interfering with the functionality of the latch 1302 dueto the outward bend defined in the catch member 1402.

As shown in FIG. 14, the first end 714 of the first vertical wire 1114forms a loop or curled end such that the first end 714 is coupled to thefirst guide member 718. Likewise, the first end 710 of the secondvertical wire 708 forms a loop or curled end that is coupled to thesecond guide wire 720. The first ends of both vertical wires can sliderelative to the first guide member 718 and second guide member 720 toallow the door 1014 to move between the closed position 1400, an openposition 1500, and any position therebetween.

The first vertical wire 1114 can have a length such that the second end716 thereof protrudes through the defined opening of the third guidemember 722. Similarly, the second vertical wire 708 can have a lengthsuch that the second end 712 can protrude through the defined opening ofthe fourth guide member 724. In this configuration, an animal cannotpush the door 1014 outward due to the interference created by the secondends of both vertical wires being at least partially captured in thedefined openings of both guide members.

While the guide members are shown as forming loop or oval likestructures, this is only illustrated as one example. In other examples,the first and second guide members can be single wires along which thefirst ends of both vertical wires slide. The third and fourth guidemembers may also be a single wire that is disposed outwardly from thefirst side member 1010 such that the second ends of both vertical wiresis disposed between respective guide wire and the first side member1010. Other tracks, channels, guides, etc. can be used to facilitatesubstantially linear movement of the door 1014 relative to the firstside member 1010.

FIG. 14A demonstrates the latch assembly 1302 when it is in the closedposition 1400. The latch assembly 1302 may include three components: abolt 1118, a lever 1120, and a latch component 1122. The latch component1122 is the base of the latch assembly 1302 and can include a wire bentinto a substantially rectangular shape. The latch component 1122,however, may be any shape including oval, square, circular, trapezoidal,polygonal, or other known design. A first latch wire 1124 of the door1014 is disposed adjacent to and spaced from the first vertical wire1114. The latch component 1122 can be coupled to the first latch wire1124 at a first latch location 1128 and a second latch location 1130. Asecond latch wire 1126 can be adjacent to and spaced from the firstlatch wire 1124. The latch component 1122 can also be attached to thesecond latch wire 1126 at a third latch location 1132 and a fourth latchlocation 1134. Depending on the spacing between the vertical wires ofthe door 1014, the latch component 1122 can be coupled at more than justfour locations. In one aspect, the first and third latch locations 1128,1132 may be aligned with the first location 1108 of the catch member1402. Additionally, the second and fourth latch locations 1130, 1134 maybe aligned with the second location 1110 of the catch member 1402.

In one aspect, substantially straight portions of the latch component1122 may lie between the first latch location 1128 and the third latchlocation 1132 and also between the second latch location 1130 and thefourth latch location 1134. To accommodate the bolt 1118, the latchcomponent may define two bolt openings 1136. The bolt openings 1136 caninclude a first bolt opening defined between the first latch location1128 and the second latch location 1130, and a second bolt openingdefined between the third latch location 1132 and the fourth latchlocation 1134. To form the bolt openings 1136, the latch component 1122may protrude outwardly from the first side member 1010 to allow the bolt1118 to fit and slide therebetween. The bolt 1118 is free to rotate andslide axially relative to the latch component 1122. In a differentembodiment, the bolt 1118 may only rotate freely relative to the latchcomponent 1122 but is otherwise fixed from sliding relative thereto.

The bolt 1118 may include a substantially straight end 1138 disposedfurthest from the catch member 1402 and a bent end 1140 disposed nearestthe catch member 1402. The bent end 1140 is located outside of aperimeter defined by the latch component 1122, and when in the closedposition 1400, the bent end 1140 may rest against the catch member 1402to lock the door 1014. When in the locked position (illustrated in FIGS.13-14A) or when in the resting position (illustrated in the openposition 1500 in FIG. 15), the bent end 1140 of the bolt 1118 may pointoutwardly from the first side member 1010.

The lever 1120 may be a single wire coupled to the bolt 1118. The lever1120 may hang below the bold 1118 and form a U-shaped bend. The lever1120 can have a first end 1142 and a second end 1144. The first end 1142is coupled to the bolt 1118 nearest the bent end 1140, but inside theperimeter of the latch component 1122. The first end 1142 can be affixedto an inner facing portion of the bolt 1118. The lever 1120 is alsocoupled to the inner facing portion of the bolt 1118 at the second end1144. The second end 1144 is coupled to the bolt 1118 within theperimeter of the latch component 1122.

The lever 1120 is affixed solely to the bolt 1118 so the lever 1120 isfree to rotate about an axis defined by the bolt 1118. Pivoting thelever 1120 away from the first side member 1010 can cause the bolt 1118to rotate. The bent end 1140 of the bolt 1118 latches the door 1014 whenit couples to the catch member 1402 while in the closed position 1400.By rotating the bolt 1118 so that the bent end 1140 uncouples from thecatch member 1402, the door 1014 may be moved in a lateral direction1206 so that the door 1014 may be disposed in its open position 1500.

By rotating the bolt 1118 so that the bent end 1140 faces upwards, thelatch assembly 1302 can be positioned to move to or from the closedposition 1400. The door 1014 can be moved in a lateral direction 1206until the bent end 1140 is able to latch or couple to the catch member1402. By pivoting the lever 1120 into the resting position below thebolt 1118, the bolt 1118 can be coupled to the catch member 1402 and thedoor 1014 may be latched in the closed position 1400.

The crate 1300 can also be collapsed into a collapsed position similarto that of FIG. 5. The crate 1300 can also include a tray or pan thatcan be removably positioned or coupled to the crate.

While exemplary embodiments incorporating the principles of the presentdisclosure have been disclosed hereinabove, the present disclosure isnot limited to the disclosed embodiments. Instead, this application isintended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the disclosureusing its general principles. Further, this application is intended tocover such departures from the present disclosure as come within knownor customary practice in the art to which this disclosure pertains andwhich fall within the limits of the appended claims.

1. A door assembly for an animal enclosure, comprising: a door framehaving a plurality of interconnected horizontal and vertical wires thatdefine an opening for an animal to pass therethrough and enter or exitthe interior of the enclosure; a door configured to move between an openposition and a closed position relative to the door frame, the doorhaving a plurality of interconnected horizontal and vertical wires andbeing slidably coupled to the door frame to allow egress and ingressthrough the opening; a catch member coupled to the door frame, the catchmember formed by a substantially U-shaped wire; a latch comprising abase member, a bolt, and a lever portion, where the bolt is slidablycoupled to the base member; a first vertical wire and a second verticalwire of the door, the first vertical wire and the second vertical wirebeing spaced from one another such that the first vertical wire is at afirst end of the door and the second vertical wire is at a second end ofthe door; and a first guide wire and a second guide wire coupled to thedoor frame; wherein, the first vertical wire is coupled to and movesalong the first guide wire between the open and closed positions, andthe second vertical wire is coupled to and moves along the second guidewire between the open and closed positions; further wherein, in theclosed position, the bolt is coupled to the first vertical wire.
 2. Thedoor assembly of claim 1, wherein the bolt comprises a single wireforming a substantially straight portion and a bent portion, the bentportion coupling to the first vertical wire in the closed position. 3.The door assembly of claim 2, wherein the bolt is rotatably disposedwithin at least one bolt opening defined by the base member.
 4. The doorassembly of claim 2, wherein: the bolt is rotatably between a latchedposition and an unlatch position, the bolt being coupled to the firstvertical wire in the latched position; and the bent portion is orientedin a direction away from the door opening in the latched position, andoriented in an upward direction in the unlatched position.
 5. The doorassembly of claim 1, wherein the catch member comprises a first end anda second end, the first end and second end spaced from one another andcoupled to an outer vertical wire of the door frame.
 6. The doorassembly of claim 5, wherein the catch member is coupled to anothervertical wire of the door frame at locations which are spacedhorizontally from the first and second ends.
 7. The door assembly ofclaim 1, wherein the catch member is partially disposed within a firstplane and a second plane, the first plane and second plane beingsubstantially perpendicular to one another.
 8. The door assembly ofclaim 1, wherein the first vertical wire comprises a substantiallyU-shaped bend between its two ends, the substantially U-shaped bendforming a recessed area in which the catch member is received in theclosed position.
 9. The door assembly of claim 1, further comprising: athird guide wire coupled to the door frame; and a fourth guide wirecoupled to the door frame; wherein, the first vertical wire is coupledto and moves along the third guide wire, and the second vertical wire iscoupled to and moves along the fourth guide wire.
 10. A door assemblyfor an animal enclosure, comprising: a door frame having a plurality ofinterconnected horizontal and vertical wires that define an opening foran animal to pass therethrough and enter or exit the interior of theenclosure; a door configured to move between an open position and aclosed position relative to the door frame, the door having a pluralityof interconnected horizontal and vertical wires and being slidablycoupled to the door frame to allow egress and ingress through theopening; a catch member coupled to the door frame, the catch memberhaving a first end and a second end; a latch comprising a base member, abolt, and a lever portion, where the bolt is slidably coupled to thebase member; a first vertical wire and a second vertical wire of thedoor, the first vertical wire and the second vertical wire being spacedfrom one another such that the first vertical wire is at a first end ofthe door and the second vertical wire is at a second end of the door;and a first guide wire and a second guide wire coupled to the doorframe; wherein, the first vertical wire is coupled to and moves alongthe first guide wire between the open and closed positions, and thesecond vertical wire is coupled to and moves along the second guide wirebetween the open and closed positions; further wherein, in the closedposition, the bolt is coupled to the first vertical wire.
 11. The doorassembly of claim 10, wherein the first end and second end of the catchmember are spaced from one another and coupled to an outer vertical wireof the door frame.
 12. The door assembly of claim 11, wherein the firstend and second of the catch member are integrally coupled to one anothersuch that the catch member is formed by a single, continuous wire. 13.The door assembly of claim 12, wherein the catch member comprises asubstantially closed loop design.
 14. The door assembly of claim 11,wherein the catch member is coupled to another vertical wire of the doorframe at locations which are spaced horizontally from the first andsecond ends.
 15. The door assembly of claim 10, wherein: the boltcomprises a single wire forming a substantially straight portion and abent portion, the bent portion coupling to the first vertical wire inthe closed position; and the bolt is rotatably disposed within at leastone bolt opening defined by the base member.
 16. The door assembly ofclaim 2, wherein: the bolt is rotatably between a latched position andan unlatch position, the bolt being coupled to the first vertical wirein the latched position; and the bent portion is oriented in a directionaway from the door opening in the latched position, and oriented in anupward direction in the unlatched position.
 17. The door assembly ofclaim 1, wherein the catch member is partially disposed within a firstplane and a second plane, the first plane and second plane beingsubstantially perpendicular to one another.
 18. The door assembly ofclaim 1, wherein the first vertical wire comprises a substantiallyU-shaped bend between its two ends, the substantially U-shaped bendforming a recessed area in which the catch member is received in theclosed position.
 19. The door assembly of claim 1, further comprising: athird guide wire coupled to the door frame; and a fourth guide wirecoupled to the door frame; wherein, the first vertical wire is coupledto and moves along the third guide wire, and the second vertical wire iscoupled to and moves along the fourth guide wire.
 20. An animal crate,comprising: a plurality of members including a top member, a bottommember, and a side member, wherein the top member, bottom member and theside member are coupled to one another to define an interior, where eachmember is formed by a plurality of interconnected horizontal andvertical wires; a door frame formed in the side member and include aplurality of interconnected horizontal and vertical wires that define anopening for an animal to pass therethrough and enter or exit theinterior of the enclosure; a door configured to move between an openposition and a closed position relative to the door frame, the doorhaving a plurality of interconnected horizontal and vertical wires andbeing slidably coupled to the door frame to allow egress and ingressthrough the opening; a catch member coupled to the door frame, the catchmember having a first end and a second end; a latch comprising a basemember, a bolt, and a lever portion, where the bolt is slidably coupledto the base member; a first vertical wire and a second vertical wire ofthe door, the first vertical wire and the second vertical wire beingspaced from one another such that the first vertical wire is at a firstend of the door and the second vertical wire is at a second end of thedoor; and a first guide wire and a second guide wire coupled to the doorframe; wherein, the first vertical wire is coupled to and moves alongthe first guide wire between the open and closed positions, and thesecond vertical wire is coupled to and moves along the second guide wirebetween the open and closed positions; further wherein, in the closedposition, the bolt is coupled to the first vertical wire.